Lawyer: Soldiers accused in rape, murder were numb from combat

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/15095001.htm

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army soldiers accused of raping an Iraqi teenager and killing her and her family were "numb" from the effects of combat, and their statements in the case may have been somewhat scripted by investigators, a defense lawyer said Friday.

David Sheldon, a Washington-based attorney for one of the soldiers - Spc. James Barker - said that his client was interrogated for about eight hours and that by the end of the interview, two Army criminal investigators "were saying this is how you're going to say it."

He added, "When you're in battle for a sustained period of time, there's certainly a numbing effect as to how one responds in any one situation." Barker, he said, did two combat tours in Iraq, saw members of his unit killed, was exposed to roadside bombs and was ordered to work for long hours at the traffic checkpoint near where the family lived.

The stressful war duty, Sheldon said, affected how the soldiers acted.

[TomInTib]

1. Bullshit. They planned it for days.

That's like saying that gang-bangers are innocent due to the pressures and despair of the 'hood.

If this crime had been committed in the heat of battle, I wouldn't even be typing this.

But if the facts are as reported, I will volunteer to be on the firing squad.

[TaleWgnDg]

2. And, your rationale for posting this is? To bash criminal

defense lawyers? The criminally accused (and you don't know the facts)? WTF do you expect criminal defense lawyers to assert, guilt? No, criminal defense lawyers are legally and ethically obligated u/ their legal duty to be zealous advocates for their clients. Can you grasp that? If a legal argument/presentation is factually feasible, then go for it. Hhhhmmmm, if "stressful war duty" and "numb" due to the war is all that the criminal defense lawyer can muster, then why is it considered "newsworthy" or for DU posting?

Frankly, I'll never understand the news media's hype about mundane stuff. But then again hype sells. You bought it.

[NNN0LHI]

5. You are talking in riddles

Take a deep breath.

Don

[Mandate My Ass]

3. puh-leeze

seeing one's buddies' killed in roadside bombd, does not excuse one from committing pre-meditated rape, corpse mutilation and murder, specificly to cover one's own criminal participation in that criminal act.

[DELUSIONAL]

4. a certain piece of their anatomy wasn't "numb"

There is absolutely no excuse for what they did.

NONE.

[CoffeeCat]

6. "Numb" assumes some kind of...

...impediment or emotional paralysis.

No way is this "defense" going to fly.

These guys STALKED this young girl. They harassed her at the checkpoint, found out where she lived and visited her home the night before they raped and burnt her to death.

This was premeditated. They thought about it for days. Then they massacred her family, including a 6-year old sibling, then raped and burned her. Then, they covered up the crime, disposed of evidence and pleaded with witnesses to "never speak of this again."

Many soldiers endured the massive stress that these animals did. They didn't go around raping and burning girls. Plenty of soldiers have returned home with PTSD. They didn't rape, murder and cover up crimes.

These guys have no viable defense. Every story that describes their defense only makes me happy, because it clearly demonstrates that these bastards will fry for their sick crimes.